Bottle carrier



y 1969 J. v. MAHON ETAL 3, 6,

BOTTLE CARRIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 1, 1967 In 21677235315: \fa/uz YNQ/ZOR and GeoryeffPczr/Zer July 22, 1969 J, v, MAHON T 3,456,841

BOTTLE CARRIER Filed Dec. 1, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [HZ/67157 15 \fOTZ and 6607:9615. Parker 3,456,841 BOTTLE CARRIER John V. Mahon, Lansdale, and George H. Parker, Norristown, Pa., assignors to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 1, 1967, Ser. No. 687,331 Int. Cl. B65d 85/ 70 US. Cl. 220-113 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The inventon is embodied in a basket type paperboard carrier for two rows of bottles, having a central handle section formed of foldably joined panels between which are secured the upper portions of longitudinally disposed partition panels which are carried by end-wall forming panels; such partition panels being overlapped centrally to provide extra cushioning for the centrally positioned bottles, and being also formed with the flaps or tabs to be folded back and secured to their attached panels to provide extra cushioning for the upper and lower portions of the end bottles of the rows; certain of the flaps or tabs being integrally formed with cut-away portions which, when removed, form locking slots to secure the ends of a U-shaped member providing transverse partitions insertable through slots in the carrier bottom panel.

It is an object of this invention to provide a generally improved, basket type, paperboard carrier for two rows of bottles having a reinforced central handle member, reinforced central or longitudinal partition forming members all formed from a single blank of paperboard and being provided with transverse slots in the bottom Wall of the carrier to receive the upright panels of a separate U-shaped, partition forming member.

Another object of the invention is to provide an economical, efiicient and easily formed paperboard carrier made of relatively light or thin caliper board including a composite central, longitudinal panel providing a double thickness of paperboard located at the adjacent tangent points of contact of the individual bottles held within the carrier in side-by-side rows.

Another object of the invention is to provide an economical form of carton blank for the production of carriers of the type described which will nest together effectively with identical blanks to minimize waste of paperboard stock.

A further object of the invention is to provide a paperboard carrier of the type referred to above, having transverse slots in the bottom panel to receive the upright partition panels of a U-shaped member, and having openings formed in the longitudinal partition which are shaped to provide locking means for the upright panels of the U- shaped member when in place, and in which the material which is cut in the longitudinal partition is made in tab form and adapted to be folded back and secured to the longitudinal partition to serve as an additional thickness of paperboard at the bottle tangent points to separate the bottles.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, and in the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a form of blank suitable for forming the carrier;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a separate blank which forms the U-shaped member to provide the transverse partitions;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the blank as it appears in partially assembled form;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the carrier in set-up nted tates Patent ice condition and with the U-shaped partition member in place; and

FIGURE is a vertical sectional view of the set-up carrier, taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

The blank, as hereinshown, comprises two similar sections separated by a fold line 1 which defines the upper edge of the carrier handle. At the sides of the fold line are panels 2 and 3 which, when folded together, form a part of the carrier handle and a part of the center partition.

Side wall panels 4 and 5 are joined to the lower edges of panels 2 and 3 by outwardly swingable supporting strips 6, 7 and 6a, 7a. At each end of panels 4 and 5 are end wall forming panels 8, 9 and 8a, 9a, hinged respectively along lines 8b, 8c and 9b, 9c. The panels 8 and 8a when brought together form one end wall and panels 9 and 9a form the opposite end wall.

Narrow panels 10 and 10a are joined along score lines to the respective end wall forming panels 8 and 9a, and wider panels 11 and 11a are joined along score lines to the respective end wall forming panels 9 and 8a.

The panels 11 and 11a, together with the lower portions of the handle panels, form a central partition for the carrier. Panels 11 and 11a are preferably made sufiiciently wide to overlap centrally of the length of the carrier and such overlapping edge portions, indicated at 11h, 11h, will form a cushioning area for the adjacent center bottles in the two rows.

Narrow panels 10 and 10a serve as attaching panels. Panel 10 is attached to the left hand edge portion of 11a, as viewed in FIGURE 3, and panel 10a is attached to the right hand edge portion of panel 11. By securing the panels in this manner the hinge lines for the end panels 8 and 8a and likewise the hinge lines for the opposite panels 9 and 9a are fixed in close relation.

Panels 12 and 12a are foldably joined along score line 13 to handle panels 2 and 3. These panels 12 and 12a are defined from each other by a long narrow slot 14 which is widened at its ends to facilitate the assembly of the carrier. Instead of cutting the slot 14 between the panels 12 and 12a, these panels may be separated, if desired, merely by forming a line of perforations between them. At the sides of slot 14, panels 12 and 12a have separated extension portions 12b and 120 which, in the assembled carrier, will be disposed respectively against panels 2 and 3 to lie between finger openings 15a and 15b and the fold line 1. Additional extended portions 12d and 12a are arranged to lie adjacent panels 2 and 3 on the opposite sides of the finger openings. Narrow flaps 16, 16a foldably connected to panels 2 and 3 are left within the finger openings to provide for greater ease in carrying the loaded carrier.

The panels 10a and 11 may be integrally joined along fold lme 1a and their adjoining portions are preferably somewhat spaced by forming an opening or slot 17 between the ends of fold lines 1 and 1a.

The width of panel 10a is preferably such that, when panels 10:: and 11 are folded over to lie against panels 9 and nd panels 12 and 12a are folded over against panesl 2 and 3, the free edge of panels 10a will be clear of the free edge of the extension 120. Likewise the inner portion of panel 11, as indicated at 11b, is cut to a narrow width adjacent score line 1a to be clear of the end of panel 12b when these panels ar fold d Over against panel 2.

A tab is formed on panel 11 and foldable downwardly at an angle along diagonal line 11d, and a similar tab 112 is formed on panel 11a to be foldable along diagonal line 11 The outer end portions of these tabs when folded over against their attached panels serve to provide extra cushioning between the shoulders of the pairs of bottles at the ends of the rows. It is to be noted that the blank portions from which tabs 11c and 11e are cut are in areas that, if left in place, would overlie and obstruct the finger openings 15a and 15b. To avoid this obstruction to the finger openings, these areas, that otherwise would constitute waste and would require being stripped away, are formed into foldable tabs that provide additional cushioning for the bottles in the carrier.

Panels 10 and 11a terminate at the mid portion of the blank in relatively narrow strip portions 10b and 11g. These portions may be left hinged together along hinge line 1b which is aligned with hinge line 1.

As herein shown, a bottom panel is hinged to side wall 4 and has a securing strip 21 for attachment to the lower end portion of side wall 15. The bottom panel 20 is scored centrally along line 22 to provide for folding the two half sections of the bottom one upon the other in the collapsed form of the carrier.

For the purpose of retaining the carrier in expanded or set-up condition, a V-shaped cut 23 is made at the end of score line 2 in bottom panel 20 so that the bottom may be engaged by a rigid, composite locking tab formed from a tab section 100 on panel 10 and a similar tab section 100' formed at the lower end of panel 11a.

The bottom panel 20 is formed with pair of spaced slots 24, 24 extending transversely of score line 22. These slots are intended to receive the transverse partition panels when the carrier is set up.

The partition member, shown in FIGURE 2, is formed as an elongated blank having a central panel 25 and end panels 26, 26 defined by score lines from panel 25. Each panel 26 has a central notch 27 in its free end and a closed aperture 28 below the notch.

The partition member is folded into U-shape and the end panels 26, 26 are inserted upwardly into an expanded empty carrier through slots 24, 24.

For the purpose of receiving the panels 26 and locking them in position, the panels 11 and 11a are each formed with an opening extending upwardly from the lower edge of the panel. Referring particularly to panel 11, the opening as herein shown, is relatively wide adjacent the lower edge of the panel to provide a tab section 29 hinged at '30 and foldable inwardly away from the outer free edge of panel 11, as viewed in the carrier blank. In forming the carrier the tab section is folded back and secured against the face of the panel adjacent its hinge and, in the set-up condition of the carrier, the tab section will extend outwardly of is hinge toward the end of the carrier in a position in which its median portion will be in line with the innermost contours or tangent lines of the end bottles in the carrier. This provides a double thickness of paperboard as a cushion between the end bottles along areas where they would normally be in contact except for the partition.

Extending from the top of the portion referred to a tab section 29 is an integral cut-out section 32 which remains with tab 29 and which may also be secured to the face of the partition panel 11. The cut-out section 32 adds somewhat to the reinforcement of the cushioning portion of panel 11, but the primary object in cutting out this section is to provide a retaining or latching slot for the vertical panel 26 of the separate, transverse partition member.

For the purpose of latching the upright transverse partition section 26 an upwardly directed laterally extend ing latching edge 33 is formed which extends into the opening 34 created when the tab 29 and extended section 32 are swung outwardly on the hinge line 30. As the upper end of the upright partition panel 26 enters the lower part of the opening or slot produced by forming the tab section 29, it may slide along the edge 35 which is inclined at a small angle from the vertical in the general direction of tab 29. The edge 35 forms the lower side of a triangular portion 36, the upper side of which is inclined away from tab 29 at a small angle. As the partition panel slides past the apex of the triangular portion it meets and slides along the inclined edge 37. At this time the aperture 28 will pass the apex of the triangular portion. As the partition panel continues its upward movement the upper edge of the aperture 28 will pass slightly above the laterally extending latching edge 33 and the face of the partition panel below the aperture 28 will bear against the apex of the triangular portion 36 which then deflects or cams the partition panel laterally sufiiciently so that the upper edge of aperture 28 is retained by the latching edge 33.

Considering the function of the opening for retaining the transverse partition 26, such opening may be viewed as having three parts. The lowest or first part of the opening is defined on one side by the fold line 30 and on the other by the inclined edge 35. The second part of the opening is the narrow slot defined by the inclined edge 37 and the opposite edge of the triangular part 36. The uppermost or third part of the opening, indicated at 34, is the part above the latching surface 33.

Advantage is taken of the fact that the slot-type opening required for the separate upright partition panel is located only a short distance from the area where an increased cushioning thickness is desired when the carrier is formed of thin caliper paperboard. By cutting the opening wider near the lower edge of the partition 11 a cushioning tab is formed which, when folded over and secured in place, will be located at the tangent points of the bottles in the adjacent longitudinal rows.

Then, by leaving the stock attached to the cushioning tab which is required to be taken out to receive and lock the partition in place, such stock may be displaced or stripped out by the tab folding means employed in the assembly of the carrier. Thus the effect and expense of a separate stripping operation for the material in the partition-receiving slot is avoided.

The assembly of the carrier may be handled by well known high-speed folding and gluing mechanism. The exact sequence of assembling the parts of the blank may be varied. Typical procedure may comprise advancing the blank with its outer printed surface down, folding over and gluing down the tabs 29 and the attached slotforming portions; folding and gluing down the tabs 11c and 11a to the upper portions of the respective panels 11 and 11a; folding and gluing the panels 12 and 12a onto the handle panels 2 and 3. Next, as shown in FIGURE 3, the panels 8 and 10 are folded as a unit about hinge line 8b and at the same time panels 8a and 11a are folded as a unit about hinge line 80. Panels 8 and 8a are thus brought against their adjacent side wall panels 4 and 5. The upper portion 10b of panel 10 and the upper portion 11g of panel 11a are brought down against the previously downfolded panels 12 and 12a and glued thereto.

At the same time that panels 8 and 10 and panels 8a and 11a are acted upon, the panels 10a and 11 at the opposite end of the blank are folded over to lie fiat against end panels 9a and 9, and the upper parts of panels 10a and 11 are secured to the adjacent areas of handle panels 2 and 3.

The blank as so far assembled (as shown in FIGURE 3) is then ready to be folded along hinge line 1. Glue is applied to secure substantially all of panel 10 to panel 11a, and glue is applied to secure together the lapping portions of panels 11 and 11a. Glue is also applied to secure panel 10a to panel 11. The two portions of the blank are then folded one against the other. Finally, glue is applied to the bottom wall flap 21, then the bot tom panel is folded along its center hinge line 22, and the flap 21 is secured to the lower edge portion of the side wall panel 5. The carrier is thus brought to its assembled collapsed condition, ready to be expanded and to receive the U-shaped partition member.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the form of blank from which the carrier is produced has definite economic advantages in the fitting or nesting of the blanks due to the fact that the end portions of the blank which provide the composite center partition panels are located at diagonally opposite corners of the blank, and the contour of one end of the blank substantially follows in reverse the contour of the other end of the blank. The blanks can thus be formed from large paperboard sheets by using multiple dies in which common cutting rules are employed for the adjacent blank ends. In addition, the opposite end contours of the blanks are so shaped that only a relatively small amount of waste is produced.

Referring to the fragmentof an adjacent blank, shown in broken lines in FIGURE 1, the edge of the partition forming panel 11, shown at the left, is adjacent to or abutting the edge of attaching flap and their edges are formed by a common line of cut.

The free end of tab 110 likewise is separated from the portion 10b of flap 10 by a common line of cut.

The attaching flap 10a of the blank shown in broken lines is likewise separated from the adjacent panel 11a by a common line of cut as well as from the end of the tab 11e.

Along the line of separation of the adjacent blanks there is only a small waste area, this being the approximately rectangular portion located between tab 11e of one blank and tab 11c of the adjoining blank.

By locating the wide, center partition forming panels 11 and 11a at diagonally opposite corners of the blank, and by locating the narrow attaching strips 10 and 10a at the other opposite corners, substantial savings in waste are realized by cutting the blanks in nested relation. At the same time, the carrier main b-a-nk may be made from relatively thin caliper stock, due to forming the center partition blanks 11 and 11a wide enough to overlap centrally of the carrier to provide a double thickness of board between the two center bottles of the rows.

We claim:

1. A paperboard carrier of rectangular shape for two rows of bottles or similar articles, said carrier being formed from a blank and comprising:

(a) a central fold line;

(b) a pair of handle panels hingedly connected on opposite sides of such fold line;

(0) said handle panels being formed with elongated finger openings spaced from the center fold line of the blank and generally parallel thereto;

(d) an elongated side wall forming panel at the side of each handle panel remote from the fold line and connected to the handle panel by hinged strips;

(e) an end wall forming panel hinged to each end of the two side wall forming panels, each end wall panel comprising one-half of a composite end wall;

(f) a longitudinal partition forming panel hinged to the outer free edge of each of two diagonally opposite end wall panels, said' partition panels being foldable inwardly to form a composite, longitudinal partition disposed centrally between rows of bottles held within the carrier;

(g) the upper portion of at least one of said longitudinal partition panels being in the area adjacent an elongated finger opening; and

(h) such upper portion being formed with a tab which is hinged on a line extending diagonally to the hinge line of the longitudinal partition and adjacent the end of the finger opening, such tabe being foldable downwardly out of the area in which it would obstruct the finger opening and into an area of the partition where it may serve as an extra cushioning thickness between the shoulders of adjacent bottles held within the carrier.

2. A paperboard carrier as defined in claim 1 in which each longitudinal partition panel has a width dimension, lengthwise of the carrier, greater than one-half the length of the side wall panels, whereby such partition panels will extend inwardly in overlapping relation to form a vertically disposed, double-thickness, bottle dividing and cushioning section between adjacent center bottles in the rows within the carrier.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which each of the remaining diagonally opposite end wall forming panels has a relatively narrow panel hinged thereto along its outer free edge, each said narrow panel serving as an attaching strip to be secured to the adjacent longitudinal partition panel, thus to connect the adjacent end wall forming panels at each end of the carrier in hinged relation to each other.

4. In a paperboard carrier for bottles or similar articles:

(a) a partition comprising center, longitudinal partition panels adapted to separate two adjacent rows of bottles held within the carrier;

(b) a hinged tab formed on each partition panel within the contour of the latter and adapted to be folded over in fiat position against the panel along the tangent line of contact of adjacent bottles in the carrier to provide two cushioning thicknesses of paperboard between the bottles;

(c) said tab being formed with an integral, upwardly extending portion cut from said panel to form a slot therein;

(d) a transverse partition panel having means thereon cooperating with said slot to lock said transverse partition panel in position.

5. In a paperboard carrier as defined in claim 4 in which the slot in the partition panel is formed with a laterally directed latching edge extending inwardly of the slot and serving as a positive lock cooperating with said locking means of said transverse partition.

6. In a paperboard carrier for bottles or similar articles:

(a) a vertically disposed partition panel adapted to separate two adjacent rows of bottles held within the carrier;

(b) said partition panel being formed with a threepart slotted opening extending upwardly from the lower edge of the panel to receive and retain a vertical, transverse partition panel of the type formed with a latch-receiving aperture adjacent its upper edge;

(0) the lowest or first part of said opening being defined by spaced partition edges, one of which is upwardly inclined at a small angle from the vertical;

((1) one side of the intermediate or second part of the opening being defined by a second inclined edge joining and extending reversely from the first mentioned inclined edge, to form a triangular shaped portion, the apex of which is adapted to receive contact by the vertical face of a transverse partition;

(e) the opposite side of the second part of the opening being defined by a third inclined edge extending generally parallel to the second inclined edge, thus forming an inclined, relatively narrow slot;

(f) the uppermost or third part of the opening being extended above and partially offset from the narrow slot, and being defined by an upwardly extended edge on the same side of the slot as the triangular shaped portion and defined on the other side by a laterally extending edge to form a latching surface, and by a second upwardly extended edge.

7. A nestable blank for a collapsible, paperboard carrier which comprises:

(a) a central two-part, handle forming panel section foldable along a line extending medially of the blank;

(b) symmetrical side wall panels, one at each side of the handle forming section, and each connected to its adjacent side wall by hinged strips;

(0) symmetrical end wall forming panels at each end of each side wall panel, such panels each forming half of a complete end wall, the pairs of end wall panels on opposite sides of the line of fold being aligned and such aligned panels, in the completed carrier, being foldable into edge-to-edge relation to form complete end walls;

(d) the two end wall forming panels at diagonally opposite ends of the blank each having on their outer free edge a partition forming panel to provide a composite, central, longitudinal partition in the carrier;

(e) the two remaining diagonally opposite end wall forming panels each having on its outer free edge a relatively narrow attaching panel to be secured to the adjacent partition forming panel in the assembly of the carrier;

(f) the difference in width between the center partition forming panels and the width of the adjacent attaching panels being the same at each end of the blank, whereby adjacent blanks, arranged end-to-end, may be formed along common severance lines.

8. The invention as defined in claim 7 in which the ing section.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Freeman 220-ll3 Forrer 220113 Forrer 220-413 Wenzel 2201 13 Wood 220115 DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Primary Examiner us. c1. X.R. 

